A journalist and at least ten students were injured in an attack by auto-rickshaw (easy bike) drivers at the Maisala bus stand in Rajbari's Pangsha municipality on Saturday evening.
The journalist Md. Akash Mahmud, the Rajbari multimedia reporter for Kaler Kantho was assaulted while filming the confrontation. Attackers forced him to delete his footage before physically assaulting him and forcing him to flee for his safety. He is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital.
The violence erupted around 6:00 PM when student representatives approached the drivers to discuss a prior incident. According to the students, a group of drivers had harassed Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinees last Thursday a confrontation that was captured on video and went viral on Facebook.
Injured student representative Sagar Sikder stated that an organized syndicate of easy bike drivers operates on the Maisala-Langalbadh road. When the students attempted a peaceful dialogue regarding Thursday's harassment, the drivers ambushed them with sticks, injuring 10 to 12 people.
Local authorities have responded to the incident. Pangsha Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Moinul Islam confirmed that police have inspected the scene. He assured the public that strict legal action will be taken as soon as a formal complaint is filed.
